TikTok reports that more than 500,000 merchants were selling to U.S. users on its app at the end of 2023, up from two three months ago, as the video service ramps up its e-commerce efforts. It has more than doubled.
TikTok's e-commerce platform had more than 15 million sellers worldwide in December, and added more than 6 million sellers in the second half of this year, the company announced Tuesday in its first TikTok Shop Safety Report. .
The report highlighted TikTok's growth in e-commerce and its efforts to keep shoppers safe. The company, owned by China-based ByteDance, announced it had blocked 2 million sellers from its app for not meeting policy requirements and removed 1 million for violating its guidelines.
TikTok sees e-commerce as its next big potential source of revenue, as well as a way to keep users spending time and money on the app. After setting up shop in Southeast Asia, the company expanded into markets such as the UK and last year entered the US.Users can access it from their TikTok feed or similar to traditional e-commerce sites.[ショップ マーケットプレイス]From the tab, you can purchase products tagged in both posted and live-streamed videos.
“While the traditional model might be scrolling through a list of products on a webpage, we're creating an experience that's more interesting and engaging than that,” said Mary Hubbard, head of governance and experience at TikTok Shop Americas. That's what I'm aiming for.” . “We want people to feel that their shopping experience is tailored and relevant to them, just as they feel ‘For You Feed.’ Our aim is to ensure that the experience is a positive one, in whatever way we can.”
TikTok has faced increased scrutiny of its parent company, with the Chinese government saying it could potentially obtain user data or influence what users see on the app. Last week, the U.S. Congress passed a law requiring ByteDance to sell its stake in TikTok by January or face a domestic ban. TikTok said the Chinese government cannot access user data or influence the app and threatened to take legal action to overturn the law.
The company announced it has spent more than $400 million on platform security as it expands its e-commerce efforts and grows its shopping site governance team to more than 7,500 people by 2023. The company has blocked more than 37 million products from appearing on the app TikTok reports say 133,000 people were removed after being listed for policy violations in the second half of this year. The company monitors fraud, counterfeit products, intellectual property infringement, and more.
“I think in general, as people become more familiar with our policies and safeguards, the types of violations will change,” Hubbard said. “For example, a seller on his first day may not be as familiar with the paperwork he needs to submit as on his 365th day.”
In addition to sellers, authorized users can link their products in videos and livestreams and earn a percentage of sales made through the app. TikTok announced later this year that it removed e-commerce features from more than 500,000 creator accounts around the world due to policy violations.
Written by Alex Balinka
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